Method and apparatus for opening and cleaning fibers



l. BARNETT Aug. 4, 1959 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING AND CLEANINGFIBERS Filed Jan. 2, 1955 INVENTOR I zw/v amen/77- Y Wu Q ATTORNEYUnited States Piltgfif Mnriion APPARATUSIFOR Drama AND CLEANING FIBERSIrvin- Barnett; Somerville, N.-I., assignor to John s ManvilleCorporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York ApplicationJanuary 2, 1953, Serial No. 329,360

6 Claims. 01.19 42 The instant invention relates-to amethod-and apparamsfor opening, cleaning and applyingbinder to fibrous masses and;formixing fibersof different types. While the method and apparatusofthis invention are not limited m use with'any particular typeof fiber,they are especially suitable for use in processing rather weak, brittlefibers, such as mineral wool.

Mineral wool, as formed by the conventional methods of spinning or,blowing; contains'a'substantial proportion of-unfiberized'material'knownas shot. The primary object of' the present invention is to provide amethod and apparatus through which shot or other non-fibrous massescan'beremoved' from fibrous bodies without excessive breaking orcrushing of the fibers.

A further'object ofthe present invention is to'provide a methodandapparatusthrough which fibrous masses can-be-clean'ed, opened andthoroughly mixedwith' a binder.

A further, object of the present invention is to provide a method andapparatus through which two different types of fibers may be blended andmixed with each other.

My invention will be more fully understood and further objects andadvantages thereof will become apparent when reference is made to thedetailed'description of a preferred embodiment of the invention whichis: to; follow and to the accompanying drawing which is an elevation,partially in section and. withportions broken away, illustrating theapparatus of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, there is diagrammatically illustrateda. pair.of .conventionalzautomatic fiber feeders 2 and 4 through which extends aconveyor 6 for receiving the fibers. Different types, for exampledifferent lengths, of fibers maybe fed onto conveyor 6, it beingapparent that such action will result in a rough blending of the fibers.

Positioned to receive fibrous material from conveyor 6 is a generallyupwardly extending spike conveyor 8 arranged to carry the fibers to aposition over, and to discharge them into, a so-called weigh box 10. Theweigh box 10 is a conventional device having doors 11 which open when acertain weight of fibers has been fed into the box. On the opening ofdoors 11 fibrous masses in box 10 are dropped into a chute 12 at thebottom of which is located a door 14 actuated preferably by a suitablehand operated means (diagrammatically illustrated at 15), the door 14opening into a chamber 16.

Located at the bottom of chamber 16 and extending thereacross is ascreen 18 through which shot or unfiberized material may fall.Positioned above screen 18 is a pair of jets 20 each preferably arrangedto discharge oscillating jets of fluid across one-half of thecross-sectional area of chamber 16. Since oscillating jets of the type'here employed are well known to those skilled in the art the detailsthereof need not here be described. Above jets 20 is a spray 22 throughwhich a binder, preferably powdered or in the form of a fog, may beintroduced into the chamber. In the upper portion of ice a sidewalloffchamber 16*isa-fluid outlet opening for which a' closure means, ordoor, 24 isprovided, a filter element 26being arranged to separate'door24 from the remainder ofthe' chamber. A trunk 28, in communica=- tionthe' cham'her interior, extends upwardly from the topchamber wall andforms a-fiber'outlet' opening for which the closure means is a damperlid-mounted on shaft 32. A means for closing'door 24 when'damper" 30*isopened or closing damper 30 when door 24 is opened is diagrammaticallyillustrated in the drawing and includes a crank 34fixed' on shaft 32 andconnected;- by universal joints and a link 36 to door 24. Shaft 32; andhencedoor 24 and damper 30,- are actuated by any conventional timecontrolled mechanism 38 in such a manner that in a timed cycle damper 30willbe closed thus opening door 24'and after a selected interval damper30 will be opened thus closing door 24.

Trunk 28 leads into a housing 40 containing a conveyor 42,, a spikedconveyor 44 and spiked wheels 45 and-46 for deliveringfibrous materialto a felting tower" 48 containing spiked wheels 50. Any number of spikedwheels 50 may be employed and may be rotated by any suitable drivemeans.In the lower part of tower 48 there" is arranged a conveyor 54 having asuction box 56 arranged between the runs thereof. Throughout the drawingthe direction of movement of conveyors or the direc-' tion of'rotationof wheels is shown by arrows.

In operation, oneor'more' typesof fiber are fed through automaticfeeders'2 and 4 onto conveyor'6 from which they are removedby spike'conveyor 8' and discharged intotheweigh box 10. At thispoint a roughblending. of the different types of 'fibers will have been accomplished.When a particular weightof fibrous material is collected in box 10,doors 11 open-and the material is'dropped'through chute -12and door 14into chamber 16'. The -flu-id, preferably air, issuing from jets 20travels generally upwardly and blasts' the fibrous masses fed throughdoor 14. As soon as the fibrous material'is passed through door 14, thisdoor 15' and at-this time damper 30 is already closed and fluid outletdoor 24"is open; Under the action of jets Ztl th'e fibers of the massesin the chamber are opened, separated and suspended in the turbulentfiuid' and the shot which was contained in -th'e masses, 'being tooheavy to be suspendedby the fluid,- falls to thebottom of the chamberthrough screen 18. Since door 24 is open, fluid is bled off from theupper portion of the chamber through filter bag 26 which collects dustand other light particles which were included in the fibrous masses.While the fibers are in turbulent suspension in the chamber, a binder,preferably powdered, is added through spray 22. By reason of theturbulence of the suspension, the binder will be thoroughly mixed withthe fibers and when fibers of difierent types have been fed to thechamber, these different types will be thoroughly mixed with each other.The amount of fluid entering chamber 16 through jets 20 is arranged tobe greater than the amount of fluid discharged from the chamber throughdoor 24 and thus a positive fluid pressure is built up in the chamberduring the fiber opening and mixing cycle. After the fibers have beencompletely opened, cleaned, and mixed with each other, or with thebinder, and when a substantial positive pressure 'has been built upwithin the chamber, door 24 is closed and damper 30 is opened to releasethe pressure, thereby rapidly discharging the suspension of fibersthrough trunk 28 into housing 40. A conventional textile ceilingcondenser 39 connected to an exhaust duct 41 is located in the trunk 28to remove the excess fluid and deposit the fibrous material into thehousing 40. After discharge of the suspension damper 30 is closed anddoor 24 is opened.

With a few preliminary runs with a particular jet at"- is closed as bymeans 3 rangement and a particular size for door 24, the length of timenecessary to complete the opening, cleaning, and mixing cycle canreadily be determined. Mechanism 38 can then be set'to actuate door 24and damper 30 in accordance with this interval, and the speed of feeders2 and 4 and conveyors 6 and 8 adjusted to deliver a new charge to chute12 when damper 30 is closed and door 24 opened at the end of thecleaning, mixing and discharging cycle. Obviously, mechanism 38 can beactuated to start a new timing cycle either automatically or by hand onthe closing of door 14.

Fibrous material discharged into housing 40 is carried by the conveyorstherein and discharged into the upper portion of tower 48. The fibersfall onto the spiked flufling rolls 50 which again open and flufi thefibers and discharge them in an air suspension onto conveyor 54 where afelt is formed. A slight negative pressure within tower 48 may beattained through the use of suction box 56 thus promoting improvedfelting of the fibers onto conveyor 54.

It is apparent that the present invention provides a method andapparatus through which weak, brittle fibers can be thoroughly opened,cleaned, and mixed with a binder, or with each other, with a minimum ofmechanical action. Through the use of this method and apparatus felts ofimproved quality can be produced, since a greater percentage of unbrokenfibers can be incorporated therein than was attainable with priormethods and apparatus, and by reason of the extreme open condition ofthe fibers, very light, uniform felts can be formed.

Having thus described my invention in rather full detail, it will beunderstood that these details need not be strictly adhered to and thatvarious changes and modifications may suggest themselves to one skilledin the art, all falling Within the scope of the invention as defined bythe subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for opening, cleaning and mixing fibers comprising, achamber, fluid jet means positioned to discharge fluid jets into a lowerportion of said chamber, a fiber entry port in a wall of said chamberabove said jet means, a fluid outlet port in a wall of said chamberadjacent an upper portion thereof, a filter element extending over saidfluid outlet port, a fiber outlet port in a wall of said chamberadjacent an upper portion thereof, and means for closing said fiberoutlet port while said fluid outlet port is open and for closing saidfluid outlet port while said fiber outlet port is open.

2. The apparatus specified to claim 1 wherein said jet means includes aplurality of oscillating jets.

3. The apparatus specified in claim 1 including means located above saidjet means for discharging a binder material into said chamber.

4. A method comprising, feeding masses of fibers into a chamber,directing fluid blasts upwardly into said chamber against said fibers,forming a turbulent fluid suspension of said fibers in said chamber,releasing fluid from said chamber through a filter located above saidblasts while continuing to direct said fluid blasts into said chamber tobuild up a positive fluid pressure within said chamber, and dischargingthe fibers from said chamber by suddenly releasing said pressure.

5. A method comprising, feeding masses of fibers into a chamber,directing fluid blasts upwardly into said chamber against said fibers,forming a fluid suspension of the fibers in said chamber, oscillatingsaid blasts to cause turbulence in said suspension, releasing fluid fromsaid chamber through a filter located above said blasts while continuingto direct said fluid blasts into said chamber to build up a positivefluid pressure within said chamber, and discharging the fibers from saidchamber by suddenly releasing said pressure.

6. A method comprising, forming a rough blend of a plurality of types offibers, feeding said fibers into a chamber, directing fluid blastsagainst said fibers, forming a fluid suspension of said fibers,oscillating said blasts to cause turbulence in said suspension,discharging a binder material into the turbulent suspension, releasingfluid from said chamber through a filter located above said blasts whilebuilding up a positive fluid pressure Within said chamber, anddischarging the fibers from said chamber by releasing said pressure andcontinuing said fluid blasts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS233,847 Groom Nov. 2, 1880 700,078 Pennypacker May 13, 1902 1,805,117Van Rensselaer et al. May 12, 1931 2,317,895 Drill Apr. 27, 19432,587,814 Borkland Mar. 4, 1952 2,641,028 Steele June 9, 1953 2,697,512Brown Dec. 21, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,904 Great Britain of 1889

